The FamilyPracticeWesternCollege
Patient Participation Group

Resume of the meeting held 22.06.15

Present:

Keith Minty / Ruth Baker
Mark Rush / Catherine Eva
Ann Light
Georges Ware
Jim Jarman
Ilfra Jarman
Catherine Hutton
Joseph Hutton
Ian Goodenough
Penny Dobson

Apologies:

J White
J Ward
D Briscoe

Events since last meeting:

  • Following a change of ownership of the provider, the website has been updated and redesigned. Dr Baker has spent a considerable amount of time incorporating the best features of the old website with those of the new. The website will go live shortly and KM will circulate the web link at this point.
  • Accessing medical records on line.- KM demonstrated the new facility to access extracts of your medical record on line. This would include current problems, medication, immunisations, test results, allergies. This will be useful in finding out the results of any tests and in self-management of diseases. An Application form is available in reception.
  • Electronic prescribing- we have a go live date of Tuesday 26.08.15.
  • No further news from NHS England on premises improvement grant. The partners have agreed to fund the cost of submitting a revised planning application for the premises extension. Final plans should be available shortly.
  • The guttering on Western College has been painted.
  • CQC inspection still awaited. The CQC have temporarily closed the Clifton Village practice for four weeks. We anticipate that some patients will register here.
  • NHS England intends to carry out a funding review in early July which could mean a substantial reduction in income to the practice.

Discussion on the issue of medication by Dr M Rush

Suggested by Jill White in relation to medicine wastage but extended to cover all aspects of prescribing.

Dr Rush Highlighted medications are categorised as either:

  • Acute -first issue of a medicine to see if this is effective with no side effects
  • Repeat - proven efficacy and able to be ordered on a regular basis.
  • Repeat prescribing- well established drugs issued for 6 or 12 month periods.
  • Dosset – daily packs for patients who have difficulty taking multiple medications.
  • Controlled- mainly opiate and associated drugs.

New medicine is generally issued for a one month period to check effectiveness. Thereafter it is normally issued in 2 month supply to save wastage costs.

Some medications (warfarin etc.) require regular blood or urine testing to check for adverse side effects.

Drugs are operated under a traffic light system:

  • Green- Can be prescribed by any doctor
  • Amber- Normally initiated in Secondary Care and once stabilised can be prescribed under shared care agreement.
  • Red-Not normally prescribed in Primary care
  • Black- drug not properly licenced for issue.

Care should be undertaken when ordering from pharmacies to make sure any unwanted medication is excluded from the order to save waste.

The GP is personally responsible for issuing the drug and therefore our systems are based around safety. This is why it takes 48 hours to issue a prescription.

Do not attend letters

The format suggested by Sue Brazendale was adopted.

Dementia Café

Pembroke Rd practice already runs a dementia club from 2-4pm on a monthly basis. This provides activities for the patients and discussion groups for the carers with tea and cake. We are invited to join this group. The next meeting is to be held on Tuesday 14.07.15 and then 11.08.15.

In the long term it is hoped that the group will include Whiteladies Rd patients and a larger location would be required.

A similar group for general carers could be established on a similar basis in due course.

Lunch Club Dr Jarman confirmed that several members of the lunch club had died

(One aged 110!) and had left small legacies. The PPG was asked how it would like to spend this money. It was suggested that this could fund exercise lessons or similar activities. Suggestions to Dr Jarman at the next meeting.

Date of Next meeting – September 28th at 7.00pm

Possible topics:

  • 7 day opening
  • The implication of the proposed funding cuts